Lamp socket



Oct. 8, 1940- .1. WERTZHEISER LAMP SOCKET Filed April 6, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l INV NTOR. Jose vi; Wan /lease;-

Oct. 8, 1940. WERTZHEISER 2,217,395

LAMP SOCKET Filed April 6, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. fife a4 11 292 2 2/2 6 war BY I Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAMP SOCKET Application April 6, 1937, Serial No. 135,206

7 Claims.

member is journaled so that it is steady and does.

not vibrate and the switch closing member does not cause flickering when the current is turned on and off.

The invention. will be understood from the description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of an illustrative embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the device on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3 is a similar section at right angles to Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an end view of the device; Fig. 5 is a section along the line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a section along the line 66 of Fig. 2; Fig. '7 is a section. along the line 1-1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 8 is a side view of the switch closing mechanism; Figs. 9 and 10 are views similar to Fig. 2 showing parts in difierent positions; Figs. 25 11 and 12 are side views of a modification of the switch closing mechanism and Fig. 13 is a section along the line I3-I3 of Fig. 11. Fig. 14

is an elevational view of the fiber plate 37.

In the drawings, reference character I indi- 30 cates a base of insulating material, such as porcelain for example. A fiber disk 2 lies against the lower end of the base I and is attached thereto together with a cup shaped screw shell 3 which is for a lamp bulb indicated by the ref- 35 erence character 4. This lamp is shown with two filaments 5 and 6, one end of the filament 5 being connected to the screw shell I of the bulb,

as indicated at 5' and one end of the other filament 6 is connected to this shell I, as indicated at 40 6. The lamp bulb is provided with a center contact 8 for one of the filaments and also with annular contact 9 for the other filament.

A cut out portion I0 is provided at the bottom and adjacent sides of the shell 3 in the usual 45 Way. Screw bolts II and I2 (Fig. 3) are provided for attaching the shell 3 and disk 2 tothe base I. A terminal I3 is provided in a recess I4 in the base I into which recess the screw II extends. A binding screw I5 is provided on the 50 terminal I3 for one side I5 of the circuit. A nut I6 is provided in another recess I! in the base I for the screw I2. A U-shaped center contact I8 (Figs. 2, 8 and 10) is held in the base 2 by a rivet I9 at the center of the disk 2. An L- 55 shaped off center contact 20 is attached to the base I for the contact 9. It is held on the base I by the screw bolt 2I, This screw bolt 2i also holds in place a spring contact 22 for the make and break switch, to be described, in a recess. 23 opening out from the bottom of this base. A nut 24 is provided for the screw bolt 2| in the recess 25 at the top of the base I and sealing material 26 is provided for this nut and the end of this bolt.

A U-shaped spring contact 27 is also held by the rivet I9 in the recess 23 for the switch.

A screw bolt 28 is provided in the recess 23 in the base I and is screwed into the terminal 30 in the recess 3| for keeping this terminal in place. A binding screw 32 is provided on the terminal 3I for the other wire 32' of the circuit. A spring contact 34 for the switch is also held in place in the recess 23 by the screw 28. A fiber plate 3! (Figs. 2 and 3) is provided along one side of the recess 23 between the fiber disk 2 and the end of the recess 23.

A recess 38 (Figs. 3 and 4) is provided in the end and side of the base I, this recess opening into the recess 23. Lugs 39 (Figs. 3 and 4) integral with the base I are provided along opposite walls of the recess 38 and an U-shaped support 40 for the switch shaft to be described are provided along opposite walls of the recess 38. A screw 4! passes through a. hole 42 in the long side of the support 40 and screws into a threaded hole 43 in the short side of this support. A slot 44 is provided at the end of the long side of the support 40 for receiving the switch operating shaft 4%, thus providing a bearing therethrough.

This shaft is provided at the end thereof with an operating knob or button 4'! of insulating material. An annular groove 48 is provided in the shaft 45 for the slotted end 44 of the support 40. The intermediate portion of the shaft 46 is reduced in diameter as indicated at 49 and the inner end thereof is further reduced, as indicated at 5|, and is journaled in a hole 50 in the fiber plate 37. A coil spring 52 is provided on the shaft 46, one end 53 of this spring extending parallel to the shaft in a slot 54 of its larger part and the other end 55 of this. spring extends axially of the shaft into a hole 56 in a revoluble switch member or commutator 51.

The commutator 51 is made of insulating ma.- terial and is provided with a hole 58 therethro-ugh for the end 5| of the shaft 46. It is also provided with an enlarged recess 59 for the end of the intermediate portion 5% of the shaft 45. This commutator 57 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 48 and is connected to and turned by said shaft through the spring 52. The commutator does not move immediately upon the turning of the shaft, but moves only after sufficient tension to overcome the forces holding the switch member has been built up in the spring 52 by the turning of the shaft and this gives the snap action which is necessary in the making and breaking of the lamp circuits. Teeth 60 (Figs. 8, 9 and 10) are provided on the commutator 5! and a metal plate 6| extends along one side thereof and the edges thereof are bent to cover the faces of three of the teeth, as indicated at 62, leaving the fourth tooth bare, as indicated at 63.

When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, the current passes from one terminal 30 through contact 34 to the metal 62 on one of the teeth, thence through the metal on two other teeth, spring contacts 22 and 27, contacts 20 and I8, 9 and 8, to and through the filaments 5 and 6, thence to the shells l and 3, through the bolt II and terminal l3 to the other side of the circuit. When the shaft 46 is turned a quarter of a revolution, as shown in Fig. 8, the tooth 60 that has no metal on the face thereof contacts with the spring contact 34, thus opening the circuit through both filaments. The next quarter turn of the shaft 46 brings the commutator 51 into such position, as shown in Fig. 10, that the circuit is closed only through the filament 5, and the next quarter turn brings it into position so that the circuit is closed only through the filament 6, as will be obvious. The positions of the commutator 57 as shown in Figs. 2, 8 and 10 are farther advanced than the normal respective positions, as they are shown in. positions near those at winch the respective spring contacts snap onto the next teeth.

In the modification shown in Figs. ll, 12 and 13, a switch closing member or commutator 65a rotatably mounted on the shaft 46 is shown. This commutator element 65a comprises a support 65 of insulating material which is made substantially in the form of a square. This support is provided with a curved notch 66 along each edge extending from the respective corners to about the middle of the respective sides of this square. A metal plate 61 is provided on one side of the support 65 and has three bent over portions 68 that lie against three of the curved notches 66. Two V-shaped catches 69 are bent up from the plate 81 so as to have the ends projecting outwardly some distance therefrom.

The catches 69 on the plate 61 are to prevent the lights from flickering when the switch is turned. In order for them to operate for this purpose, holes it!!! are provided in the fiber plate 31 (Figs. 3 and 4) in such positions that these catches G9 snap into these holes immediately after the support 65 has been turned each quarter revolution, thus preventing this support from turning backwards when the switch operating shaft is released. If this support were to turn backwards the ends of the spring contacts would be in danger of being sprung away from the bent over portions 68, thus opening the circuit, because of the ends of the notches 66 pushing against the ends of these contacts, but with the catches 69 this will not happen.

In this modified form a ratchet arrangement for the driving of the commutator 65a is provided which consists of a flat metal member 70 having integral prongs H which project into corresponding openings in the support 55 to retain this plate in position. A sloping catch 12 is provided on the metal member 10. The switch operating shaft is provided with a lug which will strike the catch 12 and thus the commutator 65a can be turned by turning the shaft 46 in one direction, but this lug will ride up the sloping slide of the catch 12 and over the catch when the shaft is turned in the opposite direction and the commutator 65a. will not be moved.

I claim:

1. In a lamp socket a rotatably mounted shaft; a commutator mounted on said shaft and having portions adapted to engage contacts to effect closing and opening of a circuit including a lamp filament; means to prevent flickering of the light from said filament including an insulating member adjacent said commutator and complementary means on said insulating member and commutator respectively which enter into mutual engagement at predetermined angular movements of said commutator; and means to mount said shaft comprising a base, a slot in said base having opposite side walls, lugs extending from said walls, a clamp engaging said lugs by frictional contact therewith and having a depending skirt portion securing said shaft in said slot.

2. In a lamp socket, a rotatably mounted shaft, a commutator mounted on said shaft and having portions adapted to engage contacts to ef- ,fect closing and opening of a circuit including a lamp filament, means to prevent flickering of the light from said filament including an insulating member adjacent said commutator and complementary means on said insulating member and commutator respectively which enter into mutual engagement at predetermined angular movements of said commutator, means to mount said shaft comprising a base having a recess therein with opposite side walls, a U-shaped support adapted to be clamped over portions of said base to extend in said recess and having a slot to receive and retain in position said shaft, and means to secure said support to the side wall of said base.

3. In a lamp socket, a base of insulating material having side walls with a recess along one side, a U-shaped support adapted to be placed in said recess and having a slot to receive and retain in position a switch-operating shaft, and means to draw the legs of said U-shaped support together to clamp therebetween the side walls adjacent said recess whereby the support and shaft are held in place.

4. In a lamp socket, a base of insulating material having a recess in its end and along its side, said recess having opposite side walls with lugs projecting therefrom, a U-shaped support adapted to be placed in said recess and over said lugs and having a slot to receive and retain in position a switch-operating shaft, and. means on said U-shaped member to clamp said member to said lugs.

5. In a switching mechanism, the combination of an operating shaft, a plurality of spring contact elements, a commutator rotatably mounted on said shaft and adapted to complete circuits between said contact elements, means for driving said commutator by said shaft so as to effect a snap action comprising a spring having one end connected to said shaft and its other end connected to said commutator, whereby the turning of the shaft will build up a torsional tension in said spring which is transmitted to said commutator to turn it on said shaft, and means to prevent unintendedmovement of said commutator to prevent faulty connection between said commutator and said contact elements comprising a member of insulating material adjacent said commutator, said member having recesses therein and said commutator having projec-' tions engaging with said recesses at predetermined angular positions of said commutator.

6. In a switching mechanism, the combination of an operating shaft, a plurality of spring contact elements, a commutator rotatably mounted on said shaft and adapted to complete circuits between said contact elements, means for driving said commutator by said shaft so as to effect a snap action comprising a spring having one end connected to said shaft and its other end connected to said commutator, whereby the turning of the shaft will build up a torsional tension in said spring which is transmitted to said commutator to turn it on said shaft, means to prevent unintended movement of said commutator to prevent faulty connection between said commutator and said contact elements comprising a member of insulating material adjacent said commutator, said member having recesses therein and said commutator having projections engaging with said recesses at predetermined angular positions of said commutator, a base of insulating material having a recess therein to receive said contact and said commutator elements, said base having a slot along one of its sides to receive the operating shaft, and a U-shaped shaft supporting member adapted to be placed over said slot and. to engage said base by clamping portions of said base adiacent said slot between the arms of said U- shaped member, said shaft supporting member having a longitudinal slot therein to receive and retain in position the operating shaft.

'7. A switching mechanism comprising an operating shaft, a plurality of spring contact elements having their contact surfaces lying in a plane parallel to the axis of said operating shaft, a commutator rotatably mounted on said shaft and adapted to complete circuits between said contact elements, means for driving said commutator by said shaft so as to effect a snap action in making and breaking said circuits, means to prevent unintended movement of the commutator to prevent faulty connection between said commutator and said contact elements comprising an insulating member adjacent said commutator, said insulating member having recesses therein and said commutator having projections thereon to engage with said recesses at predetermined angular positions of said commutator.

JOSEPH WERTZHEISER. 

